O LD YEAR, FAR EW ELL I
H e h a J a vague tho u g h t th a t th e mntl-
pouch m ight contain some new s for him.
A REW EI.L. f a r e ­ H a lf an hour la te r th e letters and p a r­
w ell. the b est of cela had been asso rted and th e postum s er
frien d s m ust part. began d istrib u tin g them to th e w aiting
And as n token of
how dear thou art. throng. T h e re w ere C h ristm as p resen ts
IIow fond aud dear. and loving tidings from d ear ones in the
Old Year.
O I d E a st and many a pioneer's face o re a th xl
Year.
H ere take a glin t o f w ith happiness as th e letters w ere read
gold from out my or th e preseu ts tucked snugly aw ay iu
hair.
w arm breast pockets.
A shade o f rose
" H e re ’s som ething
you,
from cheek
and
called the postm aster,
lip. and there
Sprinkle s touch of m an who had been
snow before you door, doubtful but ex p ectan t, sta rte d for­
Old Year, before you w ard w ith a sm ile and an o u tstretch ed
hand.
T h a n h an d w ritin g ! T h e le tter
w as from C h ristin a!
Goort-by. G od-speed,
T h e envelope w as hastily to rn open
all earth ly th in g s must end.
and a p air of happy blue eyes began
O ne look Into your fadin g eyes, my friend.
perusing the text. Suddenly, the happy
So fond and dear. Old Year. »»Id Year.
There a mild regret w ithin my heart In light vanished from th e face.
H an s
place of pain.
he
All that w as sw eet In the« shall one* B ry u ju lso n ’s lim bs grew rigid and
lurched over ag ain st th e co u n ter w ith a
again
moan of anguish.
In memory live and m ake me giao.
'O ld Year: ihen why be sad?
E nglish words, even in a free tr a n s la ­
Nnw th s t we're parting. I'm Im pelled to say. tion. a re pow erless to catch th e p ath etic
vein th a t ran through H an s B ry n ju lso u 's
W hat I've In secret thought for m any a day
Yet still I love you. dear Old Year.
letter, but here are its couteuta, done m ade a very serious a ttem p t to th w a rt
You've a lw a y s worn a som ew hat aomber
th a t resolve. feeling, perhaps, th a t she
into o u r ow n language:
face
,
would have am ple tim e to cover th e d is­
You've never bad the w insom e sprightly
On board S. S Stockholm . i>ec. 10.
tan ce before th e storm came.
lla n s
3Jy D ear D m :
*:ac*
W hen you read this, my fa ith fu l love, she Brynj-.il* »n received
Ttu » I rem em ber In yonr foregone kin.
the inform ation
who
w
rite»
It
w
ill
be
w
ith
you-
but
lu
the
Old Year that I have ushered In.
spirit. I am to d ie. the sh ip 's doctor says, w ithout coium cut aud once more vanished J U S T I C E
B E F O R E G E N E R O S IT Y
and 1 thank God that I have the stren gth to into the storm .
Your stay wa« shorter, too. It s»ema to me.
»«n J you th is last word. 1 would th at Our
Thai, ih.it -.f former vear* w as w ont to be.
t»f w hat he did a fte r this absolutely I t I s N o t A lw ii.v « S e l f is h t o ( o u n t t h e
H en w u ly F ather had spared me to work for
o h . fond and dear Old Year. Old Year.
l o a t o f W l»nt YYc G i v e .
you. but. slu<*e th is is Imptwislble, work dou­ n o th in g is k n o w n . T h e la w y e r 's d au g h ­
M avbap for me all tim e Is near com plete.
And t< w s o t th e eud you're hast uing with bly hard for y o u tself. B e brave, dear H ans, te r .■» hi I not tel!. S he start»*«! linn«*, sh e
It m ust be a churlish soul indeed w ho
for my sake. Be p atient and you w id be
glad feet
w«*uld wish to discourage generosity, ami
fortu n ate
God tem p ers the wind to his
Then speed, no longer stay.
above all generosity at C h ristm as time.
strick en children aud he w ill not forget thee.
Old Year, go sw ift thy way I
bit darlii g.
My stren gth ebbs fast ■» last
T hen, if ever, is the rig h tfu l season for
farew ell.
C H R IST IN A .
giving: the season alike for good will,
As th e sh ad es of evening crept over th e
good ch eer ami good gifts, l'he native
sky aud brought out. oue by one. th e
im pulse of every healthy ami affectionate
cold, clear-cut stars, th e w ords of a
n a tu re is then to give freely itml joyously
C h ristm as carol fioated through the doors
in accordance w ith the sw eet sp irit of lov
ML a sMl 3 ©©rïw)
D ak o ta
night.
The
prairie,
w rapped in m ysterious shadow s,
rolls aw ay to th e south and van-
isnea am ong th e ghostly star». T hrough
the sedges of th e m arsh th e nig h t wind
sighs fitfully; and th e frogs, from th eir
reedy h au n ts, croak a hoarse accom ­
panim ent.
F i r H an s E ry n ju lso n . sm oking in the
d-M»r of bis “ sh ack ." and looking out over
t h ^ mo .nlit plain and coteaux. th ere is
b u t cne word in th e h eart, one song on
the lips of natu re.
C h ristin a!
W ell, indeed, did H an s rem em ber her
1 aids of golden h a ir—h er sp arkling eyes
—th e fa ir beauty o f h er n o rth ern face.
T hey had p arted —but th a t w as long ago.
“ You will m ake y our fo rtu n e in A m er­
ica. H ana. Be brave. 1 will come when
you w ant me. God be w ith you, my
d ear oue!”
N ot a day passed b u t th ese Words
leaped from th e memory to th e h eart of
H an s B rycjulson. T hey w ere o ften er on
nis lips th an w ere his prayers.
T he first year, th e dreadtxi southw est
wind scorched and w ithered a field al­
most ready for th e reaper, b u t H an s
saved enough g rain to p lan t th e land
again.
T h e second y ear, crops were
backw ard, and th e w heat w as “ nipped”
t v frost and shriveled and blackened in
the tu s k . T h e th ird y e a r crops w ere
beaten to tb e ground by hail.
How had H an s contrived to keep body
and soul to g eth er during these y ears of
tr ia l?
By m ortgaging his possessions,
i s claim , his horses, his farm ing imple­
m ents—ev ery th in g —had been laid onder
contribution to tide him over th e hard
times.
In bis han d s he had a letter. It w as
dark and he could not read it—bu t this
w as unnecessary.
H e had conned it
word for word until he could have recited
it by note. T h e letter w as from C h ris­
tina. She told her lover, in simple words,
th a t she could not rem ain aw ay from him
longer. A longer absence, for her. was
w orse th an death . Surely, h er willing
han d s would proTe a m ighty facto r in
his hard life. T h e m eanest drudgery a t
his side and for him would be happiness
fur her. T h e Stockholm sailed on th e 1st
of D ecem ber for New York. Could be not
s»nd her money to pay h er passage?
I f so. she would come third-class ail the
way. God bless him fo r th e faith fu l
lover th a t pe w as!
Po»»r H an s!
H e had never w ritten
C h ristin a of his heroic stru g g le w ith fate.
A
“S ay , do yon know w h at th a
ere
crazy S w ede from Pony G ulch haj b?en
■P i«»?*
C h ris L ark in , th e blacksm ith, dropped
th e head of his ham m er on tb e anvil and
supported hitn&elf on th e hand] w ith ».is
b a n d , sinew ) arm » as be addressed this
senten ce to Cal H iggins, a farm er.
“ W h a t aowT* asked U ig g in a “ W h a t’s
th e laten t?*
“G one a n ’ m ortgaged him self to L aw ­
y er Jo hnson for $100.**
“ *Tain't possible!”
“ T is . too—but it can’t be legal.”
“S ’pose th e Sw ede can ’t pay up when
th e m ortgage :s due?”
“Jo h n so n ’ll foreclose. I s'pose.”
“T hen he’d own th e Swede, hey?”
“ Ylore'n likely. T h en he c’d hire him
out by th e day. ye see, a n ’ git his money
ba<-k in »hat w ay.”
“ W h en ’s the m ortgage due?”
“ New Y ear’s I>ay.”
“ W h a t did ih< Sw ede w an t th e money
for**
“ D uano. ti e w ent over to th e post-
office. bought a money o rd er a n ’ *ent
aw ay ev 'ry plagued cent!”
“ D on’t th a t beat all!” exclaim ed H ig ­
gins. d isgustedly; “ th a t’s je st .ike them
Sw edes. Some fool spekerlati-jA. I ’ll bet
a copper.”
I t w as C h ristm as D ay.
In th e nooks and crannies c f W ells
LO * K IS * r ’ K L I T T L E C n B IS T IX A
C ounty th ere w as a bare sugg-stion of
snow . T h e w hite flakes were ‘luusually
backw ard, th a t y ear, in tak in g pisaession
of th e country and the settle; s shook their
bead s forebodingly as they spoke of a
“ green C h ristm as” and a “ fa t ch u rch ­
yard.*’
“ D on’t w orry. C h ris,” rem arked the
eondu«-tor of th e passenger train tha* bad
tbum lered up to the statio n , “ we’ll have
a reg u lar bender to m ake up for this.
W hen the snow comes, it’ll be on •»> all
in a heap—see if it ain 't. W h at’s th e
m a tte r, my man?**
T h e last words were spoken to H ans
B rytijulsoti. who had touched th e con
du«-t«ir on the arm .
“ Ay been lo’kin' f r niae little C h ris­
tin a by dees train , bnt Ay can ’t see her.
no place-----” began poor lla n s.
“ Ah ” went on th e eottduclor. w ith x
laugh, “ some girl from (he S lates th a t
you’re going to m arry! No—th ere were
no passengers for S ykeston.”
Iln u s turn-«J w ith a sigh. T h e posr-
m am er w as «calking off w ith th e ntait-
peuefi and th e forlorn Sw ede foliow.xL
of th e little Sykeston church and settled,
tike so m any sp irits of peace, over the
q r ; -t village.
A m an. reeling through th e «etni-dark-
ness. heard th e song and stopped to lis­
ten. A s th e last b ar of the song died
aw ay . Its cadence w as broken by a dis­
co rd a n t groan. A m om ent la te r as L aw ­
yer Johnson w ith h it w ife and little
d a u g h ter cam e out of th e church, he n ear­
ly stum bled over th e farm o f a m an lying
prone npon th e ground.
“ W h y ,” he exclaim ed, “ it’s H an s B rya-
julson!”
“ L et him lie w here he is.” said Mrs.
Jo h n so n ; “ he’s d runk, no doubt.”
“ W ell, d ru u k o r sober, if he lies here
he’ll freexe. It m eans a hundred dollars
to m e.” said th e law yer, grim ly; “ ah. he's
reviving. Come. come, my m an. don t
you know w here you a re ? ”
“ M esser Y onson?” retu rn ed H a n s in te r­
rogatively.
“ Yes, yes; get up and follow us. You’ll
freeze to death lying there. Y’ou m u st’t
freeze, you know. It w ouldn’t be tr e a t­
ing me fair. You u n d erstan d why, eh?
You can sleep in my b arn to-n ig h t.”
T h e day a fte r New Y ear's daw ned w ith
a calm th a t would have been foreboding,
had not unusual w eath er so fa r m arked
th e w in ter in W ells C ounty.
L ittle B essie Johnson w ent to school
in th e m orning and she had been gone
from home an ho u r w hen a black cloud,
rifted w ith wind, appeared in th e n o rth ­
west.
Like a g re a t om inous banner,
battle-scarred and b rushing its ragged
stream ers across th e sky, th e clond cam e
on w ith racehorse speed. Anti then cam e
th e b last in all its fury. H elter-sk elter,
here and there, blew tb e wild w hite
flakes; rushing around th e corner of L aw ­
y er Jo h n so n ’s house w ith an angry roar,
the bits of snow played hide-and-seek
among tty* eaves and then sk u rried aw ay
in the m ad gam bols of a w hirlw ind.
“ G oodness me, S ilas,” said Mrs. Jo h n ­
son, tu rn in g from th e window. “ I can 't
see a yard aw ay. W h at will become of
Bessie?”
“ S he’ll be ail rig h t—don’t w orry. T he
teach er will not let th e scholars leave the
schoolhouse until th e blizzard is over.”
E ears, how ever, if long enough p ersist­
ed in. will shake th e sto u test confidence.
T h u s it w as w ith the law yer, and when,
some m om ents later, his w ife suggested
th a t H an s be sent to th e schoolhouse to
see if Bessie were theru, he consented.
II.in s w as called in from the sfi«-d and
given his commission.
H e bowed his
head, buttoned his thin coat tightly
around him aud laid his ha no on the
«hair-knob. T h e law yer w as holding iu
fiis bauds a g reat fu r coat.
“ But tb is on.” fie said.
R eaching the schoolhouse in safety ,
H an s fouud it occupied by the teach er
and a few frightened pupils. B ut Bes­
sie Johnson was not there. At the first
ap p earan ce of tbe cloud in the n o rth w est
tb e girl b au .p ersisted tu a determ ination
. to s ta r t home. T h e teach er had not
■t her front the d riftin g
n the snow w as brushed
nju lso n ’s icy face, con-
• found in the eye-lasb» s.
south—m ystery nnsolva-
i >1 a stilile.
H a p p in e s s
»«•re te a rs of joy; p er­
ns w in ter wind« becam e
in th e ears of H an s
w hispered to him the
i. C h ristin a ;” perhaps
Ibis also w as the burd«‘n of the snow ­
flakes as they rustled down over him and
wove th eir spotless w«xif into the w eft
ing kindness which h a llo a s th e be»t of
holidays. N evertheless, even in C h ris t­
m as giving, it is n<>t alw ays selfish to
count the cost of w hat we give, says the
Y'outh’s Com panion. Ju s tic e is bette*-
than generosity. Not uufrequently those
who give too much do it a t the expense
of the persons w ho are nearest and d e a r­
est to th e r n -a n d do it for the benefit of
persons less «le'.r.
It is not simply to the spending of m»n
ey th a t this applies. It is equally tru e o f
the expenditure o f labor, care and p e r­
sonal for<-e of any kind. A tru ly gen­
erous and com m endable sentim ent, for
exam ple, prom pt* the young d a u g h ter of
the house to em broider a half score or
more o f dainty presents for her friends;
but if she had chosen less elab o rate p a t­
terns, or rem em bered friends only for
whom she truly cared, om itting m ere
social Intim ates, perhaps she would not
have overtired her eyes, and th u s be­
come unable to give help in household
d u ties w here help w as greatly neerled.
T hen, too, there is th e girl w ith n»-arly a
hundred presents oc her list, which she
«•an only by the strictest economy m an­
age to b u r w ithont exceeding her allow ­
ance. And th ere is th a t o th er girl, w ith
a sm aller and w orthier list, who denies
herself a w inter coat and m akes her old
fall one do th a t she may be more bounti­
ful to her poor |teople. She, too. is sin­
cerely. even nobly, generous; but when
the fall m a t. w ith a cu taw ay neck and
a liberty « a r f . resu lts in pneum onia, it
is her m other who m ust b ear the strain of
nursing and her fath e r who m ust pay the
doctor’s bill.
Iu short, in the holiday season as at all
o th er tim es, let us be ju s t before we are
generous. And in being generous let us
be sure we bestow most w here, when wo
think about it, we really m ost wish to
bestow , and deprive no one unfairly or
uukindly for the sake of another.
L aw y er Johnson caused It to be duly
know u th a t H ans B rynjalson had can-
«•elled his m ortgage and it w as Mrs.
A N e w Y’e a r S o n g .
Jo h n so n ’s own hand th a t gave the docu­ W ho com es «lancing over the snow .
m ent to th e fire.—W. W. C ook, in D etroit
I lls little soft feet all bare and rosy*
O|i< u the door, though the wi!«l w inds blow
F ree P ress.
A C h ris tin a * S c h e m e .
Take tbe chi hi la and make him coxy.
T ake him In, and hold him dear;
lie Is tbe wonderful New Year.
A lady who w as shopping saw her h u s­
band exam ining jstcketlaHiks at u show ­ »»pen your heart, he It and or gay.
W elcom e him there anil use him kindly
case in an o th er p art of the store. W hen For
you must carry him, y«-a or nay.
he had gone she approached the uales-
C srrj him with shut e y e s so blindly.
But w hether he b rln geta Joy or fear.
woman in th a t departm ent.
Take him! God scuds hliu this good 1
“ Di«l he get the one I w anted?*
Year.
“ Yes, the one with tin» silver horse­
shoe. 1 told him it w as the b«*st and
would ju s t su it.”
“ You’re a jew el. I feared he would
get som ething I didn’t w ant. T h an k you
ever so m uch.”
T h e husband had gone to his favorite
Jrug store, when he asked:
A S li g h t D e la y .
“ H as my wife been here?”
“ Y e s," sa id th e «lerk . w ith a grin.
Mrs. P lnkerly T he boy has ju s t com«*
“ Did she get a toothbrush o r a L»-»x o f w ith th a t lovely C h ristm as present I got
.•¡gars fo r my C h r is tm a s p re se n t t "
for you today, «tear, lie is w aiting in the
“ She looked at cigars.”
hall now.
“ H a! 1 know th e b r a n d —$2 a bun-
P ln k erly — H ow kind (kiss) and thought-
at th<- b«-d curtains. "Com e.” he ar d
b riefly, ami tbe man follow ed him out
o f the room.
D ick led th e w ay to th e lib ra ry , lig h t­
ed a «-amll«-, a n d m o tioned to th e m an
to s ta n d liefo re him.
“G ive m e th a t k n ife.” sa id Di« k.
l«»«'king th e door.
T h e k n ife w as h a n d e d o v er.
You c am e h ere in te n d in g to m u rd er
y o u r um-le to -n ig h t.”
^ ■5? >»• >»• 'X.-
>»■
X .-
X»- X k 3 ?
I Kin t! said th e m an. sh iv e rin g .
“ I s a w y o u com e in. am i fo llo w ed
you. I w atch ed you th e w hole tittle.
I th o u g h t at first you m ig h t h a v e com«-
to try a n d c u t my th ro a t; th a t w ould
h a v e been ex cu sab le, seeing th a t y o u r
From the Jingling and the tink lin g o f
u n c le d is in h e rite d you ¡u m y fa v o r j u s t
nella.
liefo re he died.
1S>;x Anyone of the nam e of A in s­ ' te r o f a m ile w ith a th o u g h tfu l fro w n
“ I f you h a d n 't com e h ere to -n ig h t to
w orth. I«>rii on Jan . 27 in the y e a r ISON, i on his u su a lly p lacid face.
tr y a n d m u rd e r y o u r u n c le I m ig h t
is iuvit« <l to com m unicate either personal­
“ I'v e h a lf a m in d to go am i see old e v e n tu a lly h av e h an d ed th e p ro iie rty
ly or by l«-tt< r with A. Z.. |mstoUi«e, Ha B a tty e ." he m u tte re d to h im self.
“ 1 I b a c k to y o u : a s It la. I’m h a n g e d if I
zelw orth. They must !•«• able to prodde«.-
w ill. By th e w ay. I mij . [»<•««• you m e a n t
th
in
k
I
w
ill
go
am
i
se
e
B
a
tty
e
..”
«•••rt»ti. i i le of birth, and other referen<x*s—
“ W ell, D ick, w h a t Is It?” sa id Mr. to tr y am i fa s te n th e c rim e on m e If
when lh« y may hear of som ething to th«*ir
B a tty e , b u stlin g in to th e room . " H a v e , th in g s h a d been o th e rw ise ? H a v e you
advantage.
g o t a n y m o n ey ?”
a g la s s o f s h e r ry ? ”
ic h a r d a in s w o r t h r«a«i
’T h a n k s .” s a id Dl«-k, “ I w ill; m y | T h e m au sh o o k his h ead.
th e p a ra g r a p h o v er a g a in a t-
D ick u n lo ck ed th e d r a w e r a n d took
• teiitiv ely by th e not too b rillia n t n e rv e s a re d iso rd e re d . I'v e been try - !
o u t $25b in n o tes.
ing to th in k .”
lig h t of a tallo w ca n d le , fixed iu a b e e r
“ N ow ,” he said , “ I’ll g iv e you tw en ty -
"I m p b !” g ro w leil th e little la w y e r.
b ottle.
fo u r
h o u rs to g e t o u t o f E n g la n d .
*‘\
\
heu
y
o
u
’ve
q
u
ite
fin
ish
ed
y
o
u
r
n
o
n
­
“ It Is p ro b ab ly a hoax. M ost th in g s
se n se perhaps y o u 'll c o n d e sc e n d to tell W rite m e a n a d d re s s in N ew Y ork th a t
a re ; but on«-«- a g a in , w hy n o t? ”
w ill find you on th a t slip o f p a p e r. In
“ H e a d s I go; ta ils I «lon’t," solilo- m e w h a t y o u ’ve com e fo r.”
a fo r tn ig h t’s tim e I w ill a r r a n g e to
‘■('an
y«»u
k
eep
a
se
c
re
t?
”
a
sk
e
d
D
ick.
•lUlz .1 A in sw o rth , to s sin g up a coin.
sen d you a ehe« k to th e a d d re s s fo r
“ S uppoae I can . I t's m y trad e .”
’T a ils . I ’tiiph. bail loss! T ry a g a in .
“ W ell, 1 ju s t m et a n in d iv id u a l call- J
T h e s h a r e in th e p ro p e rty
’T a i l s a g a in ! T h e fat«-» a re a g a in s t
ing h im se lf A rth u r C h a rle a H a rd m a n w hich 1 sh o u ld h a v e o th e rw is e re s to re d
ui)
h
av
in
g
a
«lay
in
th
e
c
o
u
n
try
e
v
i­
IsU.a ain 't easy,
A in sw o rth s ittin g on a «tile a b o u t three-­ to y o u s h a ll go to a h o sp ita l in s te a d .
d e n tly . W ell, once m ore fo r lu ck !”
»ky and «tow.
q
u a r t e r s o f a m ile from h ere; t h a t ’» N ow , c le a r o u t a u d lie th a n k f u l.’ ’
tr e e w eeks fore Christ
T h e so v ereig n tu rn e d a n d tw is te d iu
So A rth u r C liarlea H a rd m a n A in s­
all.”
th e a ir a n d b ounced on th e ta b le.
w o rth v a n is h e d in to th e n ig h t. A nd
“
A
b
su
rd
!”
sa
id
tb
e
e
ld
e
r
m
an
p
ro
m
p
t-
1
“ H e a d s! T h a t d ecid e s It.” sa id A ins­
R ic h a rd
A insw orth, th e in te rlo p e r,
w o rth , |MX*ketiug th e coin. “ 1 sh all go.” ly. “T h e s in n e r o w n in g th a t n a m e Is
re ig n e d in h is a te a d .—T it-B its.
so
m
e
w
h
e
re
a
t
th
e
b
ack
o
f
I.ago».”
'1 he n e x t «lay fou u d him s«-at«-d iu a
“O fficially sp e a k in g , y o u r Inform a- '
th ird -d a . ss sm o k in g c a rria g e o f tb e
EVER N EW A N D FRESH.
tion is a e e n ra te ." sa id D ick, “ b u t he is '
H azel w o rth .
v
isitin
g
th
is
p
a
r
tic
u
la
r
d
is
tric
t
u
n
d
e
r
lu his 1I»o»-k»*t his b irth ci-rtificate, his
M any P e r so n « O r ig in a te
»he Joke
m o th e r's m a rria g e c e rtific a te , so m e th e p le a sin g p seu d o n y m o f H e n ry
A t x ia t B r e a k i n g t b e C a m e r a .
o d d a n d - end le tte r s of re fe re n c e , a ml M iles. O. he'» th e real o rig in a l, rig h t ' “ 1 hope I d id n 't b re a k th e g la s s in tb»*
th e p a ra g ra p h iu «¡uestioti. to rn from en ough. 1 recognized him from fiis c a m e ra .” sh e sim p e re d , a s th e p h o to g ­
p ic tu re ."
th e agon ) «olum u o f th e Tim«*».
“ YY hew ! W h a t a m ess!” e x c la im e d r a p h e r b ow ed h e r o u t o f th e door.
A rriv ed a t his d e s tin a tio n , he In-
T h e n he w ent o v e r to h is d»-»k a n d
th
e la w y e r. “ W h a t did you d o?"
q u lrv d to r “ A. Z .” a t th e local post o f­
p
ick
ed up a little bo«>k t h a t w a s filled
"I a<lvi»«*«l him to com e u p to th e
fice. a u d w as re fe rre d to Mr. B a tty e .
w ith figur«-«. “S e v e n ty -th re e th o u s a n d
h
o
u
se
a
u
d
try
a
n
d
p
a
tc
h
th
in
g
s
u
p
.”
No 1 A ston villas. Mr. B a tty e prove«l
"D id you n o w ? ’ sa id Mr. B a tty e . e ig h t h u n d re d am i six ty -fo u r,” he a a d.
to be a c o u u try so lic ito r of th e old
in a n u m lerh rt-ath , a s he m a d e a n e n ­
looking
a t D ic k c u r io u s ly .
schooL
try .
"Y
es.
sa
id
D
ick
;
"
a
u
d
fie
re
fu
se
d
th
e
“ Y our u atne. y««u say . Is R ich ard
T h e d o o r open ed a g a in , a n d a b reezy
• ti» (talló n w ith oiu«*fi
unner-essarv
A in sw o rth ? ” «lueried Mr. B atty e.
c u rs in g . H e m a d e m e ¡»remise n o t to y o u n g m an. dr»-*sed in his b e st, a n d
A 1 us w o rth a n sw e n -d iu th e atfirm a-
m e n tio n th a t I h ad seen him to V ncle p eep in g o v e r th e c o rn e rs o f a c o lla r th a t
tlv e. an d h a n d e d o v e r hi» c e rtific a te o f
Jo e . a n d I a m puzzled to th in k w hy he ju s t <^»«'aiM-d th e c o rn e rs o f h is m o u th ,
b irth a u d o th e r docu m en t» . T h e la w ­
h as com e h e re .”
e n te re d .
y e r pcrus«"d th em c a re fu lly .
“ 1 th o u g h t I w ould com e In a n d s it
1 rotu w h a t I k n o w o f <l«-ar A rth u r
’T h e s e , o f c o a rs e , c an be
verlfi«*d
I sh o u ld say he had com e a f t e r th e ' fo r som e p ic tu re s, if you h a v e a c a m e ra
la tv t oil." be sa id . “ N ow. tell m e. h av e
fam ily p la te ,” res¡ionded Mr. B a tty e .
th a t you th in k w ill s t a n d th e ra c k e t.”
you an y liv in g r e la tio n s or co n n e c tio n s
"Q u ite so; b u t w h a t is »o lie d o n e ? ”
“C e rta in ly , c e rta in ly ,” s a id th e p h o ­
o f a n y s o rt? ”
"M y d«*ar boy. you m u st ju s t sit still to g ra p h e r. " S it d o w n a m o m e n t.” am i
“ I’ve got a so rt o f cousin so m e w h e re .”
a n d a w a it d ev e lo p m e n ts.” sa id
Mr. th e n be w en t o v e r a n d m a d e a n o th e r
sa id A iu sw o rth ; “ b u t lie n e v e r a s k s m e
B a tty e . la y in g his h a n d on D ic k 's sh o u l­ e n try In th e little l» > k . m u rm u rin g .
to din«-, a n d »0 I'v e c u t h im .”
d er. “T h e re a r e not m an y ¡»eople in "S e v e n ty -th ro e th o u s a n d e ig h t h u n d re d
“ I u ieau ." said Mr. B a tty e . “you h av e
y o u r p o sitio n w ho w ould h a v e trie d to am i six ty -fiv e.”
no t i e s o f a n y so rt? No o u e w ho ta k e s
in<lu«*e him to ¡ a t c h m a tte r s up. Not
W hen tb e n e g a tiv e w a s se c u re d a n d
a n in te re s t in y o u ? ’
th a t 1 th in k old Mr. A in sw o rth w ould th e c h a p p ie s ta r te d o u t. he la u g h e d a n d
“D uly my la n d la d y ,” sa id A in sw o rth h a v e c o n se n te d .”
re m a rk e d t h a t he “ h o p ed he d id n 't
c h e e rfu lly . “ I o w e h e r $2.o»».”
"W ell, y o u see.” said D ick, “th e fe l­ b ro ak th e c a m e ra .”
“ D on’t be so tiip |ta u t. y o u n g m an. low is a u a w fu l scam p ; b u t I feel th a t
“O h. no.” sa id th e p h o to g ra p h e r.
T h is m ay be a se rio u s m a tte r fo r you. I a m p la y in g It r a t h e r low d o w n on
F f a 'd y . A nd th e n he m a d e a n o th e r
Au e c c e n tric c lie n t o f m in e w ish e s to him . a ll th e sam e. N ow I m u st h u m
e n try In th e little L x ik . a n d n o d d ed a t
a d o p t som e one o f y o u r a g e .”
off o r 1 s h a ll t»e la te fo r d in n e r.”
e a c h sy llab le, a s he p ro h o u n ced "S e v ­
“ If .” sa id A in sw o rth , " a n y o n e is
“ D ick!” sa id old Mr. A in sw o rth la te r e n ty -th ro e th o u s a n d e ig h t h u n d re d a n d
y e a rn in g fo r my y o u th fu l affe c tio n s, in th e e v en in g .
s :x ty -s ix .”
th ey a r e to b e h a d in e x c h a n g e fo r a
“ Y es.” sa id I»h k w ith o u t loo k in g up.
" I h a v e b een a t th is b n sin eas a b o u t
c o m fo rta b le hom e. P le a s e go on. s ir; 1 “ I ’ve seen M r. B a tty e to-day. m y
tw e n ty y«-ar>, be rem ark i-d to th e re-
1 a u t all a tte n tio n .”
bo y .”
I»ort«*r "T,-n y e a rs ag o I co m m enced
“ W ell th e c ase s t a n d s like th is .” said
“ O ! W h a t ’s u p ? ”
to k eep a reco rd of th e in s ta n -es upon
U r. B a tty e . c le a rin g hi* th ro a t. " I h av e
“ I'v e m a d e a new w ilt D ick. I ’m g e t­
x very e c c e n tric c lie n t o f tb e s a m e tin g old a n d s h a k y , a n d I’ve got a lot whi« h I sh o u ld h e a r th e alh-ged Joke
alto u t b re a k in g th e gla*s in a c a m e ra
n a m e a s y o u rs e lf—a n old m a n a n d a o f m oney, you k n o w .”
bach elo r.
"Y es."' s a id D ick c a n d id ly , “y o u ’re ro jieated . T h e la s t tim e th e g e n tle m a n
w h o jn s t le ft re p e a te d it m a d e th e s e r -
“ F o r a long tim e a n ep h ew o f h is <of d is g u s tin g ly ric h .”
e
n ty - th ird th o u s a n d e ig h t h u n d re d am i
th e sa m e u aui», A in sw o rth , a n d o f e x ­
"S o w 11 you tie b efo re v ery long.
a c tly y o u r age» liv ed w ith him . H e h ad D ick : I’ve le ft y o u e v e ry th in g . 1 sig n ed s ix ty -s tx th . H a d he rom aine«! a few
m in u 'e s U n g e r he w o u lJ d o u b tle ss h av e
th e boy e d u c a te ! a n d tr e a te d him a s if th e w ill to -d ay ."
he w as his o w n son. M uch to p oor old
"Y ou m u s tn 't do th a t,” a n s w e re d »¡•rung It tw o o r th re e m o re tim es.
Mr. A in sw o rth 's d is a p p o in tm e n t, h o w ­ D ick very q u ie tly . “ I t ’s a w fu lly good
" I t is th e c o m m o n est so -calle d Joke in
ever. th e boy tu r n e d o u t b a d ly .
T h e o f you. a n d d o n ’t th in k I'm not g r a t e ­ th e w orld. N ext to 'I s th is hot en o u g h
clim ax c a m e w hen, o n e fine d a y . y o u n g fu l. b u t It’s not fa ir. V ncle Jo e . I’m fo r y o u ? o r 'I s th is cold e n o u g h fo r
A rth u r, th a t w as tb e boy’s n am e, fo rg ­ no re la tio n to you. a u d I’ve n o t tb e y o u ? It is o n e o f th e comxnon«*s: e x p re s ­
ed bis uncle*» s ig n a tu re on a ch eck fo r s l lg b te s t, c laim ou y o u . You’ve t»een sions. T h e old a n d w ise, y o u n g a n d
a fa irly la rg e a m o n n t.
f a r too k in d to m e a s it is. T h e re is foolish, h o m ely, h a n d so m e , ¡«lain, p re t­
’T h e fo rg ery w as d e te c te d a n d th e som e o n e else w ho h a s a rig h t to be ty. fa t. lean , ta ll o r s h o r t—e v e ry body
b ank se n t th e c h eck d o w n to m y clien t. y o u r h eir.”
th a t c a n ta l k —seem to th in k it Is a
H e a u th o riz e d th em to pay th e m oney, i “ It s no use d is c u ssin g th e m a tte r .” b ra n d n ew jo k e , a n d th e y a re so de­
gave th e fo rg e r a f u r th e r check fo r sa id
Mr. A in sw o rth a b ru p tly . “ I lig h te d w ith it th a t th e y sometim«*« ro ll
L’« » . a u d tu rn e d him o u t o f th e bouse w oubl ra th q r le a v e m y m oney to—to th e ch«-stnut a ro u n d five o r six tim e «
th e san>e d a y .
p ro v id e E n g la n d w ith a n e n d le s s sup- in a v isit h ero o f h a lf a n h o a r. 1 e x ­
“ My c lien t, w ho Is now a n old m an. ply o f G e rm a n b a n d s th a n le a v e a p ect to re a c h a h u n d re d th o u s a n d be­
a n d in a very feeb le s ta te o f h e a lth , is f a r th iu g o f it to th e p erso n y o u re f e r fo re th e c o m m en cem en t se a so n is o v er
fa n c ifu l, n s a ll In v a lid s are. a n d took it ' to.”
th is y ear, fo r p re tty school g irls, w ho
Into his h ead th a t be w a n te d to ad o p t
It w as on th e fifth e v e n in g a f t e r th e a re m o re lia b le to b re a k a h e a rt th a n
som e oue o f th e sa m e n a m e a n d a g e as d a y th a t D ick first saw A rth u r A in s­ a n y th in g else, th in k it g re a t fu n to a c ­
his nephew . H e sa id he w as lonely, w o rth th a t be c a m e a c ro s s him a g a in c u s e e ach o th e r a n d w a rn m e a b o u t
a n d w a n te d som ebody to ta lk to a n d fo r th e seco n d a n d last tim e.
d a n g e r to th e «■amera w hen th e ir p r e tty
c h e e r him up.
DI«1 Mr. A in sw o rth , w ho h a d eom- fa c e s a ro posed in fro n t o f it.” —I ’ti«.-*
’T h e u p sh o t o f it all Is th a t he in s is t­ p la in e d o f feellu g seed y , w en t to bed O bserver.
ed upon p a ttin g th a t a d v e rtis e m e n t in d ire c tly a f t e r d iu n e r. a u d Di« k. w ho
th e p a p e rs a g a in s t m y ad v ice . As a re ­ w as tire d a f t e r a long d a y ’s sh o o tin g ,
A n o t h e r K in d o f C a t t l e .
su lt, 1 h av e been p la g u e d w ith so m e w eu t to h is room soon a fte rw a rd , a b o u t
D riv in g th e co w s hom e is so m e tim e s
h u n d re d s o f le tte r s a n d v isits from 10-
a n e x c itin g b u sin e ss «town in M aine, to
A in sw o rth s, re a l a n d im a g in a ry .
H e u n d re s se d le isu re ly , sm o k in g a ju d g e from a sto ry fo u n d in o u r e x ­
“ You m ay l«e a b le to fill th e s itu a tio n ; c ig a re tte , a n d p re p a re d fo r a q u ie t . change«. S uch th in g s a ro very pheas­
af cours«* th a t 1» uot fo r m e to d ecid e. b o o r o r so o f re a d in g In bed. T h e book a n t —a f te r w a r d .
1 stro n g ly d isa p p ro v e o f th e w hole idea, p ro v ed in te re s tin g a n d he h ad finish«»d
“J a c k ” C la rk is a sto u t boy o f 14
an d 1 know uo reaso n w hy I sh o u ld n ’t th e first volum e ab o u t 12:3th Not feel- ¡ y e a rs , liv in g a t S b e n n a u . M aine. H e
— H arper's Bexar
d is a p p ro v e o f yo u . You seem to be a b le in g sleep y , he d e te rm in e d to g e t th e I goes a f te r th e cow s ev e ry n ig h t a n d
N ew Y e a r A d v ic e .
to fulfill th e co n d itio n s, how ever. You second volum e fro m th e lib ra ry .
d riv e s th e m hom e to th e tie-up. a lw a y s
D on’t w ait for the wag..n whih
a re e d u c a te d , a u d a p p a re n tly a gentle-
H e b ad a lre a d y reacb«*d th e b o tto m In th e groat«*st sa fe ty , b u t th e o th e r
w alking is good.
m a n."
flight o f sta irs , w hen a slig h t g ra tin g n ig h t he h ad a n ad v eD tu re w h ich h a s
Ib .n ’t gricTe over spilt milk
T h e d iscu ssio n w as lo n g —R ic h a rd sou n d m a d e him p a u se. l i e liste n e d led to th e suhstltuti«»n o f his o ld e r
th e re ’s one COW left in the pasture.
A in sw o rth ditlicile. a n d B a tty e su s­
D on’t say the w-orld is grow ng ,
a g a in a n d re a lized th a t It c a m e fro m : b ro th e r In th e g a th e rin g o f th e k in e .
p ic io u s B ut th e old g e n tle m a n seem»*«! th e sid e d o o r le a d in g in to th e g a rd e n , j L a st S at u n la y n ig h t J a c k w«-nt d o w a
when you are doing nothing to ma
to ta k e a g re a t lik in g to D ick, a s be
better.
B low ing o u t tils can d le , he slip p ed in to ! a f t e r th e c a ttle . T h e a n im a ls w ere in
D o n 't tell the world yonr troubles,
called him ; a u d . in s p ite o f Mr. B a tty e ’s
th e hall a n d flung a la rg e, d a rk clo ak th e p a stu re , a u d it w a s a lm o s t d a rk tie-
can’t borrow ten dollars on them .
g ru m b lin g , p e rs u a d e d him to s ta y fo r
o v e r his lig h t-co lo red p a ja m a s. S ta n d - j fo re he got to th»*m. H e start«xl th e m
D on’t let the grass grow under
Hint* m o n th s to see how he liked it.
ing close up a g a iu s t th e w all, he lis te n ­ h o m e w a rd w ith som e sp eed , b u t o n e
feet. T he cow » can ’t get at It there.
D ick trie d it. lik ed it, a n d fiually a c ­
lagg»*d in th e sh ad o w u n d e r th e tre e s.
ed a n d w atch ed .
cep te d th e p o st p e rm a n e n tly . H e got
A C h r i s t m a s S u r p r is e .
T h e fu m b lin g w ith th e la tc h la s te d ; J a c k th re w a sto n e a t th e supi*»sed
gen u in ely a tta c h e d to old V ncle A in s­
She asked her expcrieu<xd father,
tw o o r th r e e m in u te s lo n g er; th e u th e ' cow . a n d got a very la rg e s u r p ris e iu
w o rth . am i a f t e r a tim e m a u a g e d th e
“ Dear papa, ten me. I pray.
tw it sh o t b a c k w ith a s h a r p click a n d re tu rn . H e h e a rd th e sto n e s tr ik e th e
W hat »hall I riv e hq h«:*haml
e s ta te for him . an d m a d e h im self g e n ­
To »urprlse tutu on C hristm as D a y ’*’
th e door w as c a u tio u sly o p en ed . A m an a n im a l w ith a hollow th u m p on its ril»s.
e ra lly u sefu l. So It c a m e atio u t th a t
closed
th e d«x»r a g a in a u d sto le noise­ am i exp»*cted to see th e cow co m e fro m
“ A pr«'««nt for C larence?“ h«* murmured.
D ick clo th ed h lu ise lf iu p u rp le am i fine
H is mind with past y ea rs aw ay.
u n d e r th e tre e s on a sw in g in g ru n . In ­
lessly
p
a st him a lo n g th e p a ssag e.
linen am i called h im se lf a lucky dog.
*» he thought o f hb w ife's dear p resen ts
s te a d a b ig m oose b o u n d e d o u t in to th e
“
T
h
e
only
A
rth
u
r!”
m
u
tte
re
d
Dick.
F<* which he had bail to pay.
It w as a b o u t tw o y e a rs a f te r D ick
o p en in g a n d m ad e fo r th e y o u n g ste r.
•'This 1« «ere to surprise him. daughter.
becam e a n ep h ew by ad o p tio n , th a t, " H u m p h ! I t's uot th e p la te h e's a f t e r .”
J a c k k u cw th e a n im a l a t once. B oys
If ti.ore's an yth in g that w ill—
he
reflected,
a
s
th
e
fig
u
re
tu
rn
e
d
asid
e
w a lk in g hom e one e v en in g , w ith a gun
A g »Id wfttcb oiel ehalu to g!»e him —
a n d g irls w hen th e y get b ig e n o u g h to
from
th
e
p
a
ss
a
g
e
le
a
d
in
g
to
th
e
k
itc
h
e
n
Ami Include a receipted b ill.”
a v e r his a rm . he w as a w a re o f a n In­
w alk th e s tre e ts o f S lic rm a u in l»oot«
-J udge.
d iv id u a l s ittin g on a s tile a n d g la rin g a n d p a n try .
a n d sto ck in g s, know w ild a n im a ls w h en
T
he
house
w
as
perfectly
silent,
so
nt him. As he w a n te d to get on q u ic k ­
Is o r Art*.
th e y se e th em . So J a c k k n e w
th e
ly. he a sk e d th e m an if he h a d b o u g h t sile n t th a t D ick co u ld d is tin c tly h e a r
Ah. S an ta C laus, come in. come in.
th e q u ick , n e rv o u s b re a th in g o f th e m oose. H e m a d e fo r th e n e a re s t tr e e
Your welcome is beyond all m easure.
th e w hole stile o r only a ¡»art of It.
a n d got Into it w ith sm a ll d e la y .
V e ’re glad to have you come and stay,
“ H ow do you like n u rs in g , eh ? My m an In fro n t o f him .
T h e m oose w a s clo se a t th e b o y ’s
N«»ijk‘lessly th e tw o m en c re p t up th e
re sjte c ta b ie u n cle la uot y e t d e ad . 1
Y ourC hristm aa j
a pleasure
h eels w h en h e c lim b ed in to tin* lo w e r
sta
irs
.
T
h
e
In
tru
d
e
r
h
ad
rem
ovtxl
his
bea r.”
brjin«ii«*s. a n d s n o rte d a ro u m l th e fo o t
“O ." said D ick, “y o u r n am e Is A rth u r boots, a u d D ick w as in his lia re feet.
H a d N o t h in g L e f t .
At tb e to p th e m an tu rn e d to th e rig h t, o f th e tr v t'k in a w ay th a t m a d e th e
C
h
a
rle
s
H
a
rd
m
a
n
A
in
sw
o
rth
.
I
suj»-
F irst F ootpad T h ere is no use ta c k
a n d D ick 's face g re w s te rn . H ith e rto boy s h iv e r am i g r a b th e lim b s f u r io u s ­
pose ?"
ling th a t fellow.
ly. A fte r a b o u t a u h o u r th e big b r u te
“ It used to b e,” said th e In d iv id u a l lie h ad m ad e u p his m ind th a t th e visit
S«>cond F o o tp a d W h y ?
w ent off in rod-long ju m p s . J a c k c a m e
F irs t
F ootpad- H e’s been
buying on Hie s tile ; " It's Ile n ry M iles now . w as in te u d e d fo r h im se lf o r th e p la te
d
o w u , ra n fo r hom e, a n d to ld th e s to ry .
ch
e
st.
B
ut
now
th
e
m
a
n
w
as
m
oving
C h ristm as presents all day .—Judge.
T h e o th e r w a s —e r —too long. I fo u n d
to w a rd Mr. A in s w o rth ’s room .
it
In
c
o
n
v
en
ien
t.”
S m a rt Y o u n g M an.
C h ris t m as.
All o f a s u d d e n D ick d a r te d back
"Y es.” sa id D ick, “ it’s a long n am e.
To ccaij’ignte the verb “ to b uy.”
W o n d e rfu l th in g s hai»|x*ued w h en old
in to th e sh a d o w of a r«‘,'«»ss. T h e u iau
A re you com in g up to th e h o u se?”
At <’hr!«ttuas. 1« not pleasant.
p eople w ere y o u n g —If th e m em o ry o f
Although the conjugation show»
“ No; c u rs e yo u !" sa id th e m an s a v ­ h ad tu rn e d ou his la n te rn . H e h ad a old p eople is to lx* tr u s te d .
No «ither ten se but present.
w ire in s tru m e n t in his h a n d , a u d w as
agely.
"M y y o u n g fr ie n d s .” s a id a le c tu re r
“ As you p lease." said D ick. “O nly I e v id e n tly p re p a re d fo r th e d o o r b ein g
in th e C o rn v ille A c a d e m y L y c e u m
locked.
H
e
w
as
s
a
v
e
d
th
e
tro
u
b
le,
th o u g h t y o u r un cle m ig h t be g la d to see
C o u rse, “le t m e u rg e u|x»n y o u th e u»*-
h o w ev er, a s It y ield ed easily to his
you. th a t's all."
c e ss lty of not o nly re a d in g good boo k s
"W ell, kilidly a tte n d to y o u r n u rsin g p re s su re .
b u t o f o w n in g th e m , so th a t you u iav
H e cro ssed q u ic k ly to th e b edside,
am i haw» my b u sin e ss a lo n e—see? Ami
h a v e re c o u rse to th e m a t an> tim e
d o n 't tell my uncle y o u ’ve seen m e."
a n d D ick c a u g h t th e g litte r o f a sm all,
W hy. w h en I w as a y o u n g m a u 1 u^e»!
Mr. M iles th e re u p o n let loose a choice w ick ed looking k u ife in his h a n d a u d
fre q u e n tly to w o rk h a rd a ll n ig h t to
a n d v aried a s s o rtm e n t o f o a th s , e n d in g st«xxl re a d y .
<*aru m oney to b u y books, a m i th e n *et
w ith a w ish th a t he. D ick, w ould Im ­
V p w ent th e h an d , a u d a t th e sam e
up b e fo re d a y lig h t to re a d th e m !”
m e d ia te ly d e p a rt f o r a w a rm e r clim ate. In s ta n t D ick c a u g h t It sc ien tifically in
"W e ird sp«‘cim en ." th o u g h t D ick th a g rip lik e Iron, a u d seizin g h im by th e
A m e n i t i e s o f t h e F u tu r e .
h im se lf ns he stro d e h o m ew ard s. th r o a t w ith th e o th e r h a n d effe c tu a lly
C a lle r- P re s e n t my com plim ents to
“ R a th e r u n w a sh e d , n a sty , s h ifty ey es p re v e n te d a n y u n seem ly noise.
M iss A ria d n e a u d a s k h e r if r will lx*
—no. not a t all a nice o rn a m e n t in an y
As he d id so he c a u g h t sig h t o f V ncle convenient for her to be my wife.
house. G lad he d id n 't co m e alo n g , a f ­ Jo»*’s face, a n d drop¡ied his prisoner
S e rv a n t ta m o m en t la t e n — M iss A ri­
te r a ll: It w ould h av e u p set th e old w ith a n o ath .
a d n e se u d s h e r re g a r d s a n d re g r e ts to
m an d re a d fu lly . C u rio u s his tu r n in g up
“G ood G od!” m u tte re d th e la tte r , a lso say th a t sh e w ill be e n g a g e d u n til 3
h ere w hen e v ery one th o u g h t he w as loo k in g a t th e lied. “ H e 's d e a d !”
o ’clock.—D e tro it T rib u u e .
som e 4.IMM) m iles a w a y . N ow. I w o n d er
D ick re v e re n tly c o v e re d up th e face
w h a t lie’s a f te r ? am i w hy lie’s so k eeu w ith th e sh eet a u d tu rn e d to th e w ould-
“ D e w orl’ m ay owe me a llbbin’.” said
V u cle J o e sh o u ld n 't know th a t lie Is In be m u rd e re r, w ho. by a s u d d e n re v u l­ E phralui Jeffersou. “ but 1 fiuds d a t I
E n g la n d ? "
sion of feeling, w as s ta n d in g w h ite a n d to tte r wo’k like de debbil toe collect IL*
Dick strode along for the uext quar- I Ump w ith h o rro r, p lu c k in g n e rv o u sly —B altim ore News.
SO
R
1IO W DICK C A M E * *
* INTO A F O R T U N E
w
4